


You’re Bangin’ on a Heart of Tin

by Laurentia



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: F/M, Lauren writes het
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-02
Updated: 2014-01-02
Packaged: 2018-01-07 05:31:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1116090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laurentia/pseuds/Laurentia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It had been far too long since she’d been touched in such a way and it had utterly beguiled her for a while now to be so desirous of attention despite her lingering grief. Matthew was gone and there was nothing to be done but mourn but the memory of how he had made her body feel did not abate and had left her with longings that she could see no way to remedy. It was hardly something she could talk to somebody about and Mary had simply accepted the occasional distracting ache as something she would have to live with."</p>
<p>--For the prompt "kissing in the rain"</p>
            </blockquote>





	You’re Bangin’ on a Heart of Tin

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gazelle-legs](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=gazelle-legs).



_Mary’s whole body shuddered at the contact._

_It had been far too long since she’d been touched in such a way and it had utterly beguiled her for a while now to be so desirous of attention despite her lingering grief. Matthew was gone and there was nothing to be done but mourn but the memory of how he had made her body feel did not abate and had left her with longings that she could see no way to remedy. It was hardly something she could_ talk _to somebody about and Mary had simply accepted the occasional distracting ache as something she would have to live with._

_And yet she had found herself here. Lips smashing against his as the length of her body got to know his more intimately; her clothes were undoubtedly ruffled beyond repair and when they were forced to leave this place she foresaw another sneaky entrance through the servant’s quarters being necessary less they both give the game away completely._

_“Mary…”_

_“Hush. Kiss me.”_

_“You know I do lov-”_

_“Don’t start that.”_

_**_

“I’ve always thought Downton to be at its finest at this time of year,” Anthony Gillingham announced pointedly as the group walked to the top of the hill.

Mary pressed her lips together to prevent the smile that threatened to erupt. Edith thought she was playing the men like fools but Mary was more inclined to simply let them make fools of themselves without her interference. Of the three Tony had visited Downton the most and his comment would allow Evelyn to reply – poor Evelyn who Mary couldn’t imagine still held much hope of her affections – but not Charles, for whom this would be his first winter spent on the estate. Tony had been like this since the three had arrived for the Christmas festivities and Mary had to wonder, not for the first time, whether her mama really did have much more of a sense of humour than they generally gave her credit for. Putting all three next to each other in the guest rooms and expecting them not to compete seemed rather like reaching for the moon but Mary wasn’t inclined to complain.

She rather liked the house being livened up in fact. After last year’s inevitably gloomy affair she was content to allow herself a little more joy this Christmas. Not too much though. Tony had held her hand for a little too long during their greeting until she’d been forced to slide it free pointedly, only for it to be immediately taken up by Charles. She couldn’t honestly pretend not to be flattered but Mary still wasn’t quite sure that she was prepared to be reciprocal towards Tony, no matter how little he seemed to care that he wasn’t with Miss Lane Fox this season.

“I quite agree,” Evelyn slipped in smoothly. “Although it truly sparkles once the snow begins to fall don’t you think Mary?”

She smiled stiffly, her mind immediately taking her to the snow-white Christmas of 1920, before she was able to suppress the sorrow that bubbled briefly inside her. They had no way of knowing, she told herself, and it wasn’t their fault, any more than it had been Rose’s when she produced the gramophone – it seemed she was doomed forever to be reminded of Matthew by the slightest thing.

“I don’t think you ever saw it like that did you Tony?”

Mirth replaced sorrow immediately and Mary had to turn her head away, feigning interest in the robins battling on a branch to her left rather than give away quite how amusing she found them both. Mr Blake had thus far remained remarkably silent and she couldn’t help but miss his input to the melee. Instead he had been glancing between the other two men as they walked, only deigning to comment very occasionally and instead spending his time observing the surrounding estate and glancing up at the grey-streaked sky. As a result of his reticence he had commanded her attention easily without her even meaning to give it.

“No, I can’t say that I did. But of course I never convalesced in Lady Grantham’s sitting room.”

“Or by her personal invitation.”

Mary pressed her lips together and lowered her head for a moment to compose herself as she increased her pace to move next to Charles ahead of the other two. It was wrong to be amused she supposed, these men had come here in good conscience – more or less – with the intention of winning her heart and all she could do was silently laugh at Tony and Evelyn’s increasingly snide comments.

“If they’re not careful they’ll end up sounding like Edith and I used to.”

Charles smiled slightly as her hushed comment and raised an eyebrow in her direction.

“Used to?”

Mary nodded distractedly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the statement.

Together the group reached the summit of the hillock set amongst the woods that they had been climbing. For Mary it was an excuse to get out of the house after a few days of rain had confined them but inevitably the moment she had mentioned a walk three voices had chimed in and she’d been forced to ignore Edith and mama’s shared smirk. The former she had expected but the latter was an irritation: she could only put it down to Rose’s presence reviving her mother’s dormant instinct to see all of them settled. Nevertheless she had endeavoured to ignore them and here they stood, with the view of the house that she loved so much in sight and the winter sunshine that had inspired her outdoor pursuits long since having vanished. The sky was grey now but the estate no less impressive for it even though this time of year it was inclined towards bareness. Charles stood by her side, silently glancing over the same terran and the other two men, with decreasing levels of interest, did the same.

Until Tony tried to move towards her slyly and caught his foot in a fallen tree branch. He tumbled to the ground with a small cry and Mary had to stifle her amusement again.

“Tony!” She managed to say quite sincerely. “I do hope you’re not hurt?”

“I’m fine,” he gritted out as his cheeks turned scarlet and he clung to Evelyn’s hand to pull himself up. No sooner had he stood that he stumbled again with a wince, leaning on his friend heavily. “Ah, actually I seem to have done my ankle in.”

“Go back to the house with Napier then,” Charles suggested. “I’m sure Lady Grantham will allow you to convalesce in her sitting room if you ask politely.”

Mary’s smiled even as she gave Charles a look of mild chastisement that caused him to smile back.

“Nonsense, I’m sure-” Tony tried to take another step but was completely unsuccessful without Evelyn’s support. For his own part Evelyn looked resigned but not overly defeated and Mary was reminded that of the three Evelyn had invested the most time in pursuing her and was prepared to play the longest game – she almost felt guilty that he was the one she gave the least thought to but that was not to be helped.

“You may as well go back Tony. Evelyn can take you and Tom will be there so you won’t be abandoned to mama’s afternoon tea.”

Grimacing but not bothering to contradict the notion that he was useless for more walking now that Mary had instructed him Tony gripped onto Evelyn’s shoulder and together they began to gingerly descend the hillock. Mary watched them go for a moment, considering the fact that the further they got away the more interchangeable they were, before slipping her hands into her pockets and squaring her shoulders towards Charles.

“Shall we push on?”

“Why not?”

They walked silently for a while which suited Mary perfectly for the time being. The more silence there was the more time she had to consider her own actions and why on earth she hadn’t just ended the walk there and then and had them all head back together. It was a form of madness she supposed, this odd desire to be around Mr Blake more than the other two. Evelyn was comfortable and Tony, for all his intensity, was quite easily managed really but Charles… well he was an entirely different kind of beast and one that confused her.

“I was quite surprised back there.”

“Oh?” She glanced towards him slightly as they walked. “About what?”

“You dismissed them both for my sake.”

“Is that what you think?”

“I suppose you’ll say I’m wrong.” He leaned over smartly to pick up a stick to use to knock brambles out of their path. It reminded her oddly of something Matthew might have done but then, for all that she loved him, he had need been especially attuned to the ways of nature. Nor had she really, but when she’d really begun to step out onto the estate with Tom it had all come so easily to her whereas she recalled Matthew taking some time to adjust and she put it down to Downton being in her blood. The difficulty was of course that unless she married Mr Drewe then she would have to compromise if she ever intended to marry again. Which Mary wasn’t entirely she did.

“You’d suppose wrong. I tend not to give such great thought towards a walk although I’m flattered you credit me with such depth.”

“You’re being evasive now.”

“Am I? How terrible of me.”

His cheek twitched in what might have been a laugh and Mary praised herself for that. It had taken so long for him not to _glare_ at her that she took anything else as being a triumph although lately the smiles had come easier. The very thought of being able to elicit such a thing from Mr Blake gave her the most curious feeling, a feeling she knew was the reason behind her preference for Mr Blake’s company rather than the other two’s, despite her determination not to think too much of it.

“Did you feel that?”

Mary looked at him startled for a second before she too felt the first drop of rain.

“Yes… yes I think I did. Shall we go back?”

No sooner were the words from her lips then the option was mostly lost to them by the skies truly opening. Next to her she heard Charles make a noise of aggravation before quite suddenly his hand took her and began to pull her along.

“Come on, there’s a shed nearby.”

“A _shed_?”

But he didn’t listen and instead led her through the rain deftly. It was coming down so heavily now that Mary could scarcely see from the combination of water and loose strands of hair in her eyes so she was glad for Charles’s guidance, even if she had to nearly run to keep up with his quick pace. She could feel the water trickling down her back already, seeping through the fabric of her dress after getting under the collar of her coat and Mary pulled a face at the cold drops against her skin. She shuddered at the chill and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw the shed before them, a small building she was fairly sure she had never seen before in her whole life.  Charles pulled the door open with effort that suggested it was almost rotted shut but they were soon in the shelter and Mary took great gulps of oxygen.

“How did you know this was here?”

“I walked past it months ago. And it’s just as well isn’t it?”

Mary inclined her head in agreement and in moving caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection coming from the window. Her hand immediately went to her hat and removed it, trying to pat the sodden hair with the dry to improve the state of that at least. Her face was soaked and any semblance of make-up she’d been wearing was either gone or streaked. More drops streamed down her back and she shuddered again.

“Are you alright?”

“Cold. My coat-”

“Let me.” And he was behind her, his hands gently peeling her coat from her shoulders and the additional cold hit her body immediately. Although at least like this she wasn’t cold _and_ wet so that was something and behind her she could feel the steamy warmth coming off Charles’ similarly damp clothes.

“Have my coat.”

“That’ll do no good, it’s a wet as mine.”

“I don’t want you getting cold.”

“I’ll be fine,” she said with a mild roll of her eyes. Honestly, she wasn’t a china doll! “How long do you think we’ll be waiting?”

Mary turned around to find Charles had already found something to hang their coats and hats off and was standing close to her again. Closer than before, much, much closer.

“I don’t know. Until it ends I suppose.”

“Will it ever end?”

“I hope not.”

He kissed her quite suddenly but Mary was more than ready for him. Her hands came out to wrap around his shoulders and it occurred to her that Tony had never kissed her like this and Evelyn probably couldn’t. She felt the pressure of his touch against her lower back as he pulled her closer and the press of his body against hers, both of them still wet but warming up quite quickly, was new and quite thrilling. His hands were rough and worn – she noticed once one of them clutched at the back of her neck carefully – and they reminded her oddly of Anna’s and Mary was sure that were it not for that comforting familiarity she would have stopped this foolishness already. Nothing could come of an entanglement with Mr Blake; he was far from beneath her but sometimes he frightened her in the way that Richard had. He would want to take her away from Downton, away from her heritage and her son’s future and that could not be borne under any circumstance. He was a good man but Mary could see a near-future in which he realised that she wasn’t really a good woman.

“Mary…” He broke the kiss and she made a noise of displeasure at the back of her throat.

“Hush. Kiss me.”

“You know I do lov-”

“ _Don’t_ start that.”

He hesitated for a moment and Mary breathed out heavily, the second of staring at each other dragging on for an age in her mind. He looked as though he was thinking of pushing on with what he was trying to say but she was having none of that and pulled him down to kiss her again instead. There was a chair in the corner of the room that was musty and Mary didn’t want to think what might have slept on it but she pushed Charles into the chair and fell into his lap, never letting her lips leave his. His lovely rough hands curled around her calves to keep her in place as his lips parted hers.

She shuddered at the feel of him.

“Mary-”

“Please don’t spoil it. Just kiss me.”

Like Tony Gillingham before him, Charles Blake was quite unable to do anything but what Mary Crawley told him to once she had delivered her direct edict. 


End file.
